


Hope

by madsinwonderland



Series: Christmas [5]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Bughead Secret Santa, Christmas Eve, F/M, Jughead's un-diagnosed anxiety, bughead - Freeform, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:21:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22261012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madsinwonderland/pseuds/madsinwonderland
Summary: Jughead's finally going to propose to Betty, one problem, he seems to have misplaced the ring.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Series: Christmas [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1556959
Comments: 12
Kudos: 44
Collections: Bughead Secret Santa





	Hope

**Author's Note:**

  * For [teaandcardigans](https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaandcardigans/gifts).



> This is a very delayed Secret Santa. My computer decided to malfunction, and I couldn't retrieve my work or write anything else. I am very sorry! But it's here now, Merry Christmas! I hope you can forgive me.

"I think I'm finally going to do it Archie." Jughead's knee was shaking. "I think I'm finally going to ask her to marry me." 

Archie and Jughead were sitting in Pop's, Betty and Jughead were in Riverdale visiting family for the holidays, leaving their apartment in New York for the week. 

"It's about time Jug, how long have you had that ring for? Six or seven months now?" Archie asked him. 

"The moment hasn't been right. When I first bought the ring, Betty had a pregnancy scare, if I asked her to marry me she would have thought it was just because she was pregnant. Two months later I planned to do it but she was so stressed out about midterms. After that I chickened out. I love her so much Archie, I don't know what I'd do if she said no." Archie could hear the fear in his voice. 

"She loves you too Jug, I can't imagine her saying no." Archie tried his best to console his anxious friend. "I hope you don't give Veronica any ideas." 

"Veronica wants you to propose?" 

"Yeah, and I'm just not ready to get married. I just want to give it a bit more time. Props to you man, but I can't do it." Archie shuddered. At that moment, the bell above the door rang. Betty and Veronica were standing at the door, loaded with shopping bags. Jughead quickly hid the ring before Betty could see it. 

“Hey Jug.” Betty whispered in his ear. 

“How was shopping?” Archie asked the girls. 

“New York will always be superior to Riverdale in terms of shopping.” Veronica sighed and took a sip of her chocolate milkshake that Archie had ordered for her. 

“Well that’s because the nearest Gucci store isn’t for 50 miles.” Betty scoffed. 

“Did you find something for JB, Betty?” Jughead asked her, remember how anxious Betty was getting because she couldn’t find the perfect present for Jellybean. 

“I did. It’s a record player, they’re holding it at the store for me.” Betty breather a sigh of relief. 

“Speaking of holding Archie can we go home now, these bags are heavy.” Veronica whined. 

“Now that’s something I never thought I’d hear Veronica Lodge say.” Jughead chuckled, only getting a laugh from Betty. They said goodbye, promising to meet up for Christmas Eve in two day’s, the day that Jughead planned to propose. 

When they got back to the Jones-Cooper house, Jughead hid the ring in the bottom of his suitcase, and prayed that Betty wouldn’t find it. 

Christmas Eve-Eve passes faster than Jughead would have liked to admit. Betty was starting to notice that something was up. Jughead was acting very jumpy and his leg was constantly shaking. 

“Jughead? What’s the matter?” Betty asked him several times throughout the day. 

“Nothing.” He would always respond. Betty never believed him. It wasn’t until they got into bed on the 23rd did Betty really start to worry about him. 

“Jughead, you’ve been acting up all day. What’s the matter? Are you okay?” Betty asked suspiciously. 

“I’m fine, really.” Jughead replied. He turned out the light and they got ready to fall asleep. 

“Are you hiding something from me?” Betty whispered in the darkness. 

“No. Why would you ask me that?” Jughead whispered back. 

“Ever since we came back to Riverdale, you’ve been acting differently. Did you have an affair or something last time we were here?” 

Jughead tried hard to keep his laughter in. 

“Of course I didn’t.” Jughead mumbled. He rolled into his side so he could see her. She was staring up at the roof. Even in the dark he could tell that she was upset. 

“I promise Betty, I didn’t cheat on you. I love you.” Jughead gently stroked the side of her face. 

“I love you too.” Betty whispered. She still felt like he was hiding something, but at least she felt as if she could breathe a little easier. 

When Betty woke up the next morning, it was Christmas Eve. She could hear Jellybean singing Christmas carols loudly and off key. She heard the shower running, so she headed downstairs. Jellybean was sitting at the counter with FP. 

"Merry Christmas Eve!" Jellybean squealed. Jellybean was already in a Christmas sweater and had red and green ribbons threaded through braids. Betty got herself a bowl of cereal and waited for Jughead to come down. Not too long later Jughead emerged from upstairs, his hair still damp. 

"I hope you're not considering a sining career JB." Jughead said playfully. 

"Jughead don't be mean to your sister." FP didn't even look up from his phone. Alice came waltzing through the front door. 

"Good, everyone is up." Alice sighed. "I can go through the plan for today. Everyone eat quickly, I want to get to the grocery store early. God knows that everyone in Riverdale will be there today. Then everyone needs to help me with the baking for tonight and tomorrow. Yes Jughead, even though you and Betty are going to Pop's tonight you still need to help. After that, we'll all get cleaned up and dressed up for the family mass at 6. Then we're having guests over, and Betty and Jughead are going to Pop's. Now hurry up, we have a lot to accompish today." 

Jughead scarfed down his food and raced upstairs. He wanted to make sure that the ring was still in his suitcase, and that Betty hadn't found it. He looked under the clothes that he had hidden it under. The ring wasn't there. He frantically searched through his suitcase, he couldn't find it anywhere. He pulled out his phone and called Archie, desperately hoping that he would pick up. 

"Archie! I can't find the ring anywhere!" Jughead said, panicked. 

"What do you mean you can't find the ring? Where did you put it last?" Archie asked him. 

"I put in my suitcase." 

"Did Betty go through it?" 

"Why on earth would Betty need to go through my suitcase?" Jughead groaned. "Besides, she would have said something to me this morning. Where would it have gone?" 

"Did Jellybean take it?" Archie suggested. 

"Maybe, I'm not sure. I'd have to ask." Jughead mumbled. 

"Jughead? Are you ready to go?" Betty called from downstairs. 

"I'll be right down." Jughead said in return. "I have to go Archie, I'll call you later." He ran downstairs and joined everyone else who was patiently waiting at the door. The five of them jumped into Alice's car and they drove to the grocery store. 

Alice was right. Almost everyone in Riverdale was there at the store. The usually friendly Alice turned into a monster. She barked orders at everyone, she pushed through the crowds of people. She was a whole other person. 

When Jughead had a moment alone with Jellybean, he asked her if she had been through his stuff. 

"Did you take something of mine this morning?" Jughead asked her. 

"Well, I took one of your flannels." Jellybean said. 

"Wait, what? Why?" Jughead wasn't expecting that answer. 

"I don't like the ones that dad buys for me." 

"Oh, damn it." Jughead cried. 

"What's the matter with you?" Jellybean sighed. 

"Don't say anything, okay, but I'm going to propose to Betty tonight and I can't find the ring." 

Jellybean's eyes lit up. 

"I'll help you find it when we get home! Betty'll be distracted because of the cooking." Jellybean was jumping up and down. 

"Calm down JB, you'll give it away." Jughead whispered. They joined up with the group and Jellybean managed to calm down and they were ready to pay and leave. 

When they got home, they search the room from top to bottom, but they couldn't find it anywhere. 

"Are you sure that you took it home. Maybe you left it at Pop's?" Jellybean suggested. 

"No, I remember putting it in the suitcase. At the bottom because I knew that Betty wouldn't find it." Jughead looked at the time. "No. We've gotta go. Betty and I have to meet Archie and Veronica at Pop's." 

Betty ran up the stairs and quickly changed out of her flour covered sweater and into a clean one. Jughead was about to pull on his shoes, when he felt a small box at the toe of his shoes. It was a small velvet covered box. Jughead felt relief wash over him, it was the ring. He jammed it into his pocket, he must have kicked it into his shoe when to shoe was knocked over. Betty and Jughead pulled on their coats, said goodbye, and left for Pop's. 

Jughead was feeling nervous again. He prayed that she would say yes, he wouldn't know what to do if she said no. 

Pop's was busy when they arrived, but because Veronica was the owner, they had a table reserved for them. They drunk milkshakes, and Jughead waited for the perfect moment. 

"Hey Betty, can you stand for a moment." Jughead said, Betty look confused, but did it anyway. He stood in front of her, and held her hands. 

"Betty, I love you. These last few years of our relationship have been the best years of my life. You've given me hope, you've given me love. Thanks to you, my writing is being picked up by a publisher. Betty, I guess what I'm trying to say is." He got down on one knee and pulled out the ring. He hears Veronica gasp, and Archie had pulled out his phone. Betty had began to cry. 

"Will you marry me Betty?" Jughead whispered. 

Betty was silent for a moment. 

"Of course I will!" She excalimed.


End file.
